Service blueprinting : a potential tool for improving cause-donor exchanges

This paper examines the potential for using service blueprinting to assist non-profit organizations in better managing donor exchanges. In many cases organizations are unclear of donors' expectations in relation to the overall giving experience. Failure to deliver on expectations could potentially result in donor 'dissatisfaction', which in turn may result in reductions of future donations to these organizations. This article begins with a review of blueprinting and the benefits of using such as tool as to assist in understanding the donation exchange. Zeithaml and Bitner's (2000) steps in building a blueprint are explained in the context of non-profit-donor exchanges. An example of a hypothetical blueprint provided to highlight the complexity and divergence encountered in such exchanges and used to identify potential problems associated with the various aspects of the donation experience. Finally, implications for managing giving and suggestions for future research are offered.

Effects of work-related sleep restriction on acute physiological and psychological stress responses and their interactions: A review among emergency service personnel

Emergency work can expose personnel to sleep restriction. Inadequate amounts of sleep can negatively affect physiological and psychological stress responses. This review critiqued the emergency service literature (e.g., firefighting, police/law enforcement, defense forces, ambulance/paramedic personnel) that has investigated the effect of sleep restriction on hormonal, inflammatory and psychological responses. Furthermore, it investigated if a psycho-physiological approach can help contextualize the significance of such responses to assist emergency service agencies monitor the health of their personnel. The available literature suggests that sleep restriction across multiple work days can disrupt cytokine and cortisol levels, deteriorate mood and elicit simultaneous physiological and psychological responses. However, research concerning the interaction between such responses is limited and inconclusive. Therefore, it is unknown if a psycho-physiological relationship exists and as a result, it is currently not feasible for agencies to monitor sleep restriction related stress based on psycho- physiological interactions. Sleep restriction does however, appear to be a major stressor contributing to physiological and psychological responses and thus, warrants further investigation.